RIMA AL BANNA

“With every collection, I try my best to
tell a story.”

Feeling creatively limited by graphic design, Rima decided to become a fashion designer. Getting her inspiration from daily life and everything that happens around the world, she feels there are a lot of ways for people to express their thoughts and feelings.

TAREK SHAAFAR

“A building is like a book or a poem, it takes the viewer on an adventure.”

After graduating from Michigan University, Tarek returned to Dubai to focus on architectural projects with bigger impact on society. He thinks that projects that will improve people’s lives and the future of our children in the region bring out the best in him.

SARAH AL-JOHARY

“My personal signature is very simple:
I sing from the heart.”

Turning every aspect of her life into a song, Sarah grew up in an inspiring household that taught her to always push herself and keep looking for the unexpected. Her songs, which she also writes, represent personal interpretations of experiences and feelings she encountered in the past.

KHALID SHAFAAR

A calm observer who likes to draw, Khalid is a graduate in Business Management and Interior design. His goal is to help grow the Emirati design scene on an international level and build objects that are useful in every aspect of someone’s life.

MICHEL ELEFTERIADES

“I believe beauty has the power to save
the world.”

A multitalented artist nicknamed “Emperor of Nowhereistan”, Michel creates to fight the struggle inside him. To him, successful work is the one that is remembered long after the artist is gone and his goal is to still be remembered as an artist a century away from now.

EL SEED

“Every wall I work on becomes close
to my heart.”

A calligraphy artist of French Tunisian descent,
El Seed’s works can be admired on streets around the world. Using a mix of graphite and Arabic, as well as the influence brought upon his creative spirit by the hip hop culture, he tries to create piece of art that build bridges between cultures and bring people together.

LARA KHOURY

“I think fashion has a big role in the liberty
of expression.”

Born in Beirut, Lara decided the Ecole Supérieure de la Mode de Paris (ESMOD) when she was just 18 years old. With a unique passion for drawing and fashion she loves dressing this planet’s residents while creating unique textile universes.

GIANNA PANIAGUA

While many visual artists seek inspiration in the world around them, one 24-year-old is taking a more personal approach. Inspired by her experiences as a transplant recipient, artist Gianna Paniagua shines a fragile light on the human body and provides a voice for young artists living with disabilities.

KEVIN CHAN

California native Kevin Chan is reinventing the production processes of fashion design. At just 25 years old, he has developed a platform that aims to create transparency in order to empower designers and dissolve the unethical taboos attached to the industry’s production processes.

MORGAN DEBAUN

As America’s affinity for online communities grows, one young woman has identified the need for a gathering place of African American millennials. 26-year-old Morgan DeBaun dares to fill this gap with a platform that empowers young African Americans and uplifts the collective voices of color.

FLYNN MCGARRY

At just 17 years old, Los Angeles-born chef Flynn McGarry is already heading his own experimental pop-up dining experience. And it is booked solid. Garnished with meticulous details, his dishes are both technical and progressive.

KENNETH SHINOZUKA

Inspired by his family’s struggle to care for his ailing grandfather, 17-year-old Kenneth Shinozuka is devoting his ambitions to improving the safety of Americans suffering from dementia and Alzheimer’s disease. His breakthrough invention, a wearable sensor that provides safety to patients and peace of mind for caregivers, has garnered Shinozuka a great deal of accolade. Some day, he would like to see Alzheimer’s cured entirely.

JUSTUS WILLIAMS

At the age of 16, Bronx teen Justus Williams became the second African-American chess Grandmaster and the youngest African American to achieve Master Status. Now 18 years old, he pursues the title of World Champion and shares his story in hopes of inspiring others.